Details
by storyteller629
Summary: A series of one-shots all post 4x10 from Auggie's perspective. Written with the same assumptions as my other story, Reuniting, and loosely based on those characters and storyline, although you don't have to read the original to follow. I don't own any characters.
1. Chapter 1

_I had a lot of good feedback from my story Reuniting, so I thought I would try a few one shots that didn't quite fit with the story, but I considered back story to that one. Hope you enjoy._

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It was three weeks after Annie went dark. It was time to take care of Annie's belongings, and Auggie wouldn't let anyone else do it. After the memorial, Auggie suggested to Danielle that she and the girls go through the guest house and take all the jewelry and whatever else they wanted. He promised he would take care of the rest. Auggie had put it off for two more weeks, but he knew it was time. He planned to put most of it into storage, which he'd pay for as long as it was necessary.

When the alarm clock blared, Auggie reached to turn it off with a groan. He knew he needed to get to the guesthouse before the movers arrived. He was sure that Annie hadn't left anything classified in her home, but he wanted to be in her place one last time before it wasn't hers anymore.

Auggie dragged himself to the shower and tried to let the water rouse him. It was only mildly successful. After he dried off, he moved to the kitchen. If the shower didn't wake him, maybe caffeine would. Auggie moved back to his closet while the coffee brewed. Once dressed, he poured himself the coffee and moved fluidly to his desk. For the most part, he'd put the loft back in order. The focus it took to meticulously go through the apartment and put things back together was oddly comforting during his periods of insomnia over the last three weeks.

At his desk, Auggie opened his laptop. He'd rebuilt this piece by piece in the nights after her phonecall to make sure there were no bugs and no viruses that might track activities or keystrokes. He was sure it was the most secure thing in his apartment. Auggie checked his email, and then moved onto his ritual of checking though their regular protocols. He hadn't heard from her yet, but he didn't want to risk the chance that he'd miss her. When nothing turned up, he sighed; just as he had daily for the last three weeks. Auggie finished his coffee and checked his watch. The car service was due to arrive in a few minutes. He closed his laptop and made his way back across the apartment. He left the mug in the sink, and moved to the door. He grabbed his keys, cane, and the key to the guesthouse that Danielle gave him before she headed back to California.

In the car, Auggie held the guesthouse key in his hand. He ran his fingers along the grooves, and felt each bump until he memorized the pattern of ridges and grooves. He'd given Annie a key to his place when they were together, but they rarely stayed at her place. It was much easier for Auggie to navigate his own apartment, and his toes appreciated familiarity. This was, he realized, the first time he'd held a key to her place in his hands. A smile crept across his face at the realization, although it quickly turned bitter when he remembered that it would probably be the last time, as well. To get his mind off the knot that tightened in his stomach, Auggie moved to the keychain. It was obviously handmade by one of the girls. It was two crossed popsicle sticks with yarn wound around them. Auggie remembered making something similar with sticks and twine at boyscout camp. He struggled to come up with the name for them, but "God's Eye" sounded familiar. Auggie fingered the yarn. Not very plush, and the yarn had something else woven in it. Was it metallic threads? He guessed he shouldn't be surprised that a love of all things shiny ran in that family.

Auggie was lost in his thoughts as the car came to a stop. The driver turned, "we're here, Mr. Andersen," he said tentatively.

Auggie palmed the key. "Thanks, Fred. And how many times do I have to remind you to call me Auggie?" he asked as he tried to muster his best smile. He knew he hadn't been the greatest company to drive around for the last few weeks, but he genuinely liked the man.

"Yes, Mr.- Auggie," Fred corrected himself. "Can I assist you to the door?"

"I've got it from here," Auggie said, as he opened the car door. He unfurled his cane and made his way up the front walk. He paused at the door. As he had for the last few weeks, he reminded himself that she wasn't really gone. He felt like he was living deep cover again. The phone call had confirmed all the rumors to be true, which meant their relationship was as good as public at The Agency. It also meant his grieving had to be public. It was easy enough to do- he really did grieve her absence, and he easily transferred the anxiety of knowing she was on her own to an even more convincing performance. But the longer he publicly grieved, the harder it was to hold onto his hope. Auggie took a deep breath as he unlocked the door and turned the handle.

He first noticed the smell. The air was stale, but there was an undercurrent of her. The knot in his stomach tightened. He knew this would be hard, but he didn't expect that it would hit him as soon as he walked in the door. He held a hand out and ghosted along the hallway. Hanging next to the door he found a few of her trenchcoats and an umbrella. His throat tightened. Everything was where she left it. It felt oddly personal and almost invasive to Auggie. In the last three weeks of craziness, this place had remained a constant. Auggie swallowed hard as he continued down the hallway. In the main room, he moved beyond the bed. He felt around the coffee table and found magazines and a pillar candle. He thought back to one of the last times they were together here. They'd split a bottle of wine and she lit a bunch of candles.

_He smirked as she curled up next to him on the couch."You know it's a nice gesture and all, but the ambiance is sort of lost on me," he began. She playfully nudged him in the ribs. "Plus," he continued, "a blind guy surrounded by open flame? Are you trying to get rid of me?" He heard her beautiful laugh, and he was about to laugh too, when he felt her tilt her head up and lean into him. Their lips met, and she abruptly broke the kiss._

"_I guess you're going to have to trust me and follow my lead," she said as she took his wine glass and placed it on the coffee table. She stood._

"_I always do," he said earnestly and took her hands and let her pull him to his feet. She turned and he placed a hand on her hip as he followed her, her hand on top of his. Auggie used his other hand to brush the hair from her neck. He gently kissed her neck, and heard a sigh escape her lips. He smiled into her neck and kissed her again, this time with more force. She stopped walking._

"_You'd better be careful, mister," she giggled. "If you distract the driver, we might both end up too close to those flames." Her free arm reached behind her and snaked up behind his neck. _

"_I like to screen my drivers to make sure they are up for the challenge of keeping me safe," he murmured._

"_I'd like to think you have different screening protocols for your chauffeurs," she replied half as a statement, half as a question._

"_I assure you, Miss Walker, you are at the utmost pinnacle of my screening procedure. But one can never be too careful." One hand remained on her hip, and the other rested on her abdomen. He used his hands to gently spin her around. He now placed both hands along her jawline, and her hands went to his hips. He let her guide him to the bed as their lips met again. _

_After they'd finished, he rolled to his side, propped his head on his hand, and pretended to study her. "Definitely the handsiest driver I've ever had," he stated, and rolled to his back as the pillow smacked him across the face. _

Auggie stood still as he remembered that night. He fought against the urge to let his knees buckle and collapse him to the couch. Instead, he shook his head as though to clear his mind. He moved along the couch and to the bookshelves. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he knew he'd find whatever it was. He ran his fingers along the shelves. Of course Annie had a number of books. He knew most of them were in their original languages. She'd once told him that she preferred the originals to their translations. It came up in one of their first conversations at Allen's, when she'd wanted to know what he did to disconnect himself from the job. Auggie knew they were best friends, but he was constantly amazed at all the little details he'd stored in his head about her, even back when they'd first met. They were now surfacing on a fairly regular basis. As his fingers continued to trace along the shelves, he came across some trinkets and picture frames, but none of it was what he wanted.

Before he moved towards the bed, he lifted the cushion along the window seat and lifted the plywood to reveal her safe. Auggie had a number of combinations he knew to try. Not her birthday, she was too smart for that. He'd done his research to get her parents birthdays, Danielle's, the girls', and a few other important dates like graduations and other milestones. He pulled out the equipment he needed from his messenger bag. He hooked the wires between the safe and the port on his phone. The safe decryption app he'd borrowed from a trusted friend would first attempt any known possibilities, then set about a systematic pattern to break the code. Auggie knew it could take hours, so he hoped his one of his hunches paid off.

Auggie sat in silence after he started the program. He checked his watch again. He still had time before the movers arrived. Right now, though, he wasn't sure if he had the energy to move to her bedroom. He leaned his head back against the window and closed his eyes. It couldn't have been more than five minutes when he heard the click of the safe. Auggie opened the door, disconnected the wires, and checked his phone to find out the number combination that worked. He smiled as his phone read out the numbers: it was the day she left The Farm and started at Langley.

Auggie cleared the contents of her safe into his messenger bag. He didn't know the specifics about the contents of her safe, but he knew that it couldn't be left behind, and had to be dealt with by a trusted source. After a final sweep, he closed the safe door, returned the cushion, and stood. It was time to continue on.

Auggie moved to the armchair on the far side of the room, and felt around the end table. Some coasters and a lamp. Still nothing that he wanted. He knew he was looking for something to take with him. Something that he could hold onto when he needed to remember them and why she was gone.

With another deep breath, he crossed to the bed and sat on her side, near the head. As he sat, her smell enveloped him. Tears sprang to his eyes and he swallowed hard. Three more deep breaths, and he reached to the nightstand. He found nothing of significance on top of the nightstand. Whatever book she'd been reading, a glass for water, and the alarm clock. He opened the drawer and felt inside. It seemed shallow, but not by much. Auggie cleared a few things and found a tab at the back. He carefully extracted the contents of the drawer, and his breath hitched as he lifted the false bottom out. His hands felt around the additional half inch depth. It felt like there were a few ticket stubs, a postcard or two, and- Auggie held his breath as his fingers contacted first one, then another small object. He picked up both and held them in his hands, and they were cool to the touch. Auggie recognized the rings immediately: one, a solitaire with a simple band, the other a matching plain band. It was from their time in Barcelona, when they'd been married for a day. Tears sprung to Auggie's eyes. She'd called him the romantic on that trip, but he wasn't the only one who held onto the memory. Auggie slipped the rings on his pinky for safe keeping. He replaced the items in the drawer to be packed up later by the movers. He'd found what he was looking for, although he hadn't expected this.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Apparently these one shots won't be in chronological order. Probably because I haven't planned them all out yet.**  
_

* * *

_He felt the bed depress next to him. He opened his eyes and caught hers as she swung a leg over him to straddled him. She wore his favorite t-shirt and a mischievous smile. Auggie grinned._

"_Well, good morning," he chuckled as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. His hands traveled to her hips._

"_Good morning yourself, soldier," she greeted, her eyes sparked. _

"_To what do I owe such a wake up call?"_

_She smiled as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I just wanted to be the first to let you know that I love you," she said, as she leaned towards him._

"_Feelings well reciprocated, Miss Walker," he murmured as he tilted his head up to meet her kiss. Before their lips could touch, gunfire erupted through his apartment. Annie slumped forward. _

"_Annie?" he cried as he shook her body. "Annie?" he repeated, the panic overtook him and he screamed, "Annie!"_

Auggie woke up in the scream and sat up in his bed, panting hard. His heart raced, and he felt a cold sweat over his body. This was one of those times he wished turning on a light would make a difference to him. He needed comfort, and the darkness didn't help. He drew his legs up to his chest and held them there. He ran through his nightly ritual: he was OK. Annie was not dead. The bullets weren't real. This was just another nightmare. Those four affirmations were repeated until his heart and breathing returned to a normal rate. Auggie estimated it took about 15 minutes, which was better than the nights previous. He laid back down, but didn't expect to fall asleep.

This was the first time he'd seen her in a dream. Usually, they were separated by a wall, a door, or darkness. She was just a floating voice and the silence after the gunfire was all he needed to know. This time, though, he pictured her. Or at least he assumed he pictured her. His mind created a composite of all the things he'd known about her- what he knew through his senses, and what he'd heard from others. It was the most clear picture of her he'd ever made, but somehow it didn't make him feel any better.

There certainly was a lot of chatter about her in the last few days. The memorial service was yesterday, and Auggie had only put her family on a plane back to California six hours ago. He'd spent days listening to stories about Annie's childhood, her love for other cultures, & her devotion to her family and friends. He'd sat quietly during most of the conversations, and smiled politely through it all. Most of her friends and family put together that he was her boyfriend, but they assumed a relationship that started only a few weeks before her death meant that he was upset but not distraught. He'd spent most of the eulogy trying to act his cover- longtime coworker and friend who'd only recently seen what was in front of him the whole time. It barely scratched the surface, but honestly, Auggie preferred it that way. One of the difficult things about working for The Agency was that the Annie he knew and the Annie that was remembered that day lead two different lives. Auggie would rather be treated with distance than have attention focused on him. He already felt guilty enough for perpetrating a lie while people openly grieved her loss.

A few people from The Agency attended the memorial service. Stu and Barber offered Auggie awkward hugs, but made their escape rather quickly. Joan was there, too. Auggie could tell she moved slowly and still had some residual pain from the C-Section that happened days before. She assured him that she could be away from the NICU to pay her respects. Calder did not show, and Auggie was relieved. He may have helped Annie, but it was still hard for Auggie to not use him as a scapegoat for his feelings about the situation. Plus, any prying Agency eyes would expect a confrontation, and Auggie couldn't do that to Annie's family.

As he lay on his back in his bed, Auggie thought back to a conversation he'd had with Danielle as things were winding down. He sat in the corner of the hotel suite they'd rented, exhausted from the day. He felt someone move up beside him and nudge a plate into the back of his hand. He tilted his head up to the person who delivered the plate and raised his eyebrows.

"You need to eat something," he heard Danielle say tentatively. "You look like shit."

He gave a small smile. It was the most she'd said directly to him since she first arrived into town. She'd pulled him aside long enough to lambaste him for not keeping Annie safe, which she punctuated with a hard slap across his face. He stood stoically and let it happen. If she needed someone to blame, then he would be that person.

He nodded to Danielle. "What am I eating, exactly?" He tried to keep the conversation light, not entirely sure of her intentions.

"Oh, right," she said, and he could feel that she'd been caught staring at him. "Just some lasagna on the right of the plate, garlic bread on the left, and a salad on the bottom. There's a fork and knife on the left, too."

"Thank you," he said, and balanced the plate on his legs. He heard Danielle pull a folding chair across from him. She sat down, and he could feel her lean in.

"Auggie?" Danielle questioned. Auggie took a breath. It was the same way Annie would preface saying something that was difficult for her to say or him to hear. The family resemblance made his head reel. Auggie steeled himself for whatever came next. "I'm really happy that Annie and you..." her voice trailed off with her thought. There was a moment of silence before she regained her voice, "that she had you, in the end. I know we didn't talk much in the last few weeks, but I also know being with you would have made her happy, so I'm glad that happened." She rushed the last few words, and Auggie could hear the tears in her voice. His eyes teared too, and he reached out a hand in her direction, which she took.

"Thank you," he said simply as he squeezed her hand. He felt her nod her head.

Back in his loft, Auggie was still unable to sleep. The bedside clock told him it was almost 4AM. He'd only managed a few hours of sleep. With a sigh, Auggie gave up and got out of bed. He tried a drink of water and turned on the lights throughout the apartment, an attempt at the symbolism of chasing away the negative thoughts that surrounded him, but they didn't want to leave. Ultimately, he decided it was too quiet. He put on some music and moved to the last quadrant of his apartment that had not been pieced back together since the raid. He worked as he had for the last week; a meticulous sort of items as he cataloged each by touch and placed it back in its rightful spot. The work was soothing- it engaged just enough of his senses that he could almost get lost in it.

After Auggie put the last item away, he moved to the kitchen and checked the clock in there. It told him it was just after 6:30. Auggie sighed as he made a pot of coffee. Today was to be his first official day back at the office in his new tech analyst role. He set the coffee to brew and dragged himself to the shower. He hoped his new space would be as secluded as he imagined it to be. On such little sleep, he couldn't stomach forced interaction with others.


	3. Chapter 3

Auggie squared his shoulder as he exited the car. It wasn't his first trip back to Langley, but it was his first day back on the job. Back on _a_ job at least. He'd been informed during his last interrogation that he would be reassigned while the investigation was pending. He didn't much care, and would actually prefer a different office. The DPD held too many memories that were currently chaffed raw. There might be new suits in charge, but he knew he'd never be able to sit in his office again without wishing for the sharp click of expensive heels and the soft smell of grapefruit on the air. A new location where he could fly under the radar would suit him well.

As he entered the building, he paused for a moment in the lobby and leaned on his cane. He thought back to a few weeks ago. It was amazing how so many things in his life could have upended, and everything in this lobby- the din of chatter, the beeping of the badge scanners, the clacking of dress shoes against the marble floor- could all be the same now as it was before. Auggie forced down a sudden surge of anger. How could these people act like life just continued on given everything that happened?

Auggie was working on his third deep breath when the sound of dress shoes clicking in his direction caught his attention. "Mr. Andersen," a young voice inquired, and Auggie nodded. "I'm Carl Bowers," Auggie assumed a hand was thrust in his direction. He lifted his eyebrows and waggled the cane. He was in no mood to be the disability coach today. "Right," he heard Carl mumble, and then a pause. "I'm here to show you to your new space," Carl tried again. Auggie felt the brush on the back of his hand. He took Carl's elbow and the two moved through security.

While they waited for the elevator, Auggie's cantankerous nature began to wane. He started to feel bad for Carl. It was clear that the poor guy was low enough on the totem pole to get stuck toting around the blind guy. And Auggie did have to admit to himself that he was short on allies in this building at the moment.

He heard the elevator door close and Carl hit a button. Auggie allowed the silence to carry on a beat longer before he spoke. "Mind giving the blind guy a clue on the floor we're headed too? I'd like to be able to find it again after lunch." While he spoke, Auggie felt the elevator shift down as it started to descend. While he expected it, his stomach still knotted.

Carl cleared his throat. "Um, S6," Carl said, a waiver of insecurity in his voice.

Six floors below street level. That was even deeper than Auggie expected to be buried. "Well," he replied, his tone light, "at least I won't miss the view." He offered a smile to Carl, and hoped he didn't deceive the myriad of thoughts running through his mind about the scrub work done this far underground. It was, as far as he knew, the home of the woefully incompetent, the washed out, and the unworthy benefactors of nepotism.

When the elevator stopped, Auggie tried to prepare himself for what would come next. He considered making a joke about getting the bends on the way back up, but quickly decided that he didn't have a read yet on Carl.

Carl led him out of the elevator and Auggie counted paces as they moved down the hallway. He was pleasantly surprised about his surroundings. He'd expected dank and silent, but felt carpeting under his feet, and a light sounds of background office noise. It wasn't bustling like the DPD, but it wasn't the dungeon he'd expected. He started to feel cautiously optimistic.

Sixty-two paces later, the pair turned left, and Carl halted. "I take it we've arrived?" Auggie asked.

"Yes," Carl replied. "This is your office. Your belongings from the DPD have been moved down here in as much a replication as possible. This department doesn't have the budget of the DPD, so I'm afraid you won't have all the creature comforts you're accustomed to." Auggie nodded and offered a smile. He mentally cataloged his old office and started thinking about his priority items. Carl continued, "there are a few open projects that could use your assistance. There's a file on your desk. You'll find everything you need on this flashdrive," he said, as Auggie heard the rustle of cloth. He assumed Carl pulled the flashdrive from his coat pocket. Auggie held out his hand and felt the small drive in his palm, which he tucked into his pocket with a nod.

"The desk is about four feet ahead of you. There's a bathroom just down the hall on the right, and a break room across from there. We passed the conference room on the way from the elevator, but don't worry too much about it. Most of the projects you'll be working on will be solo endeavors."

"And uh," Auggie interjected. He didn't want Carl to leave before he got a little more information. "Do you happen to know who I report to?" He gave a half smile. "They didn't exactly send me an orientation packet."

"Yes, right," Carl responded, and Auggie noticed a subtle change in his tone. "That would be me. I'm your supervisor."

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but the laugh escaped Auggie's lips before he could contain it. Perfect, he thought. His babysitter sounded like he was still learning to count while Auggie served. Of course someone wanted to add salt to the wound- as though a reassignment wasn't enough. There was silence in the room, and Auggie again felt bad for Carl. He probably wasn't used to being treated as a pawn, and just wanted to quietly lead this department until the next promotion came along. Auggie stuck out his hand. "In that case," he started, and tried his hardest at a warm smile, "I look forward to working with you."

There was an awful moment where Auggie's hand hung in space. He considered the greeting he'd given the man only minutes ago and was about to withdraw awkwardly when he felt Carl return the shake. "Yea," Carl said stoically, "I've heard a lot about you."

Auggie considered a retort, but ultimately decided against it. "If you make a left out of the elevator, you'll come to my office," Carl said, and Auggie heard him turn.

"Thanks," Auggie replied to the sound of Carl's shoes shuffling down the hallway. Auggie turned in the direction of the desk and took a moment to take in his office. He held out his left arm while he used the cane with his right. He ghosted the perimeter of the space. Auggie had the suspicion that this room was recently used exclusively for storage. Large file cabinets lined the walls, the drawers of which were locked. A few of the cabinets had silk plants thrown on top of them, as though someone had tried to forget how far below ground level they worked. Auggie felt the decorations, and noted a hearty coat of dust on them. He estimated the room to be about 8 feet by 12 feet. Certainly a downgrade on his square footage, but at least it wasn't a cubicle.

Auggie moved toward the desk. He first found the chair, which caused him to frown. It was a simple desk chair; no arm rests, and the back ended, Auggie estimated, right below his shoulder blades. He sat heavily in the chair and immediately felt uncomfortable. Perhaps a new chair would have to be the first thing he "earned" back in his new job. Auggie put a hand on the desk, and grimaced. The desk felt heavy and clunky. It reminded him of the desks his teachers had in middle school. Auggie moved to open the center drawer. He found his laser cane and breathed a sigh of relief. He moved to open the right drawer but couldn't. After a few solid tugs, an idea occurred to him. "Oh, seriously?" he muttered to himself. He made sure the center drawer was all the way closed. The right drawer opened on the next tug. Auggie rolled his eyes.

As he'd hoped, his headphones were in the right drawer. He felt around the desk until he located his tower. They'd moved his computer and keyboard, although he was sure the worlds it could access were significantly limited now. While he waited for the machine to boot, Auggie ran his fingers over the file. "Great," he murmered. "Walk ins." Auggie continued to read and discovered that in fact, it was the back log of three months worth of walk-ins. He cracked a smile when he realized that Annie's catch on Walter's case and the spy tapes must have changed the policy regarding follow up. Now all cases were given credence until proven otherwise. Auggie plugged the drive into the tower, put on his headphones, and slipped the first CD of his Mingus boxset into the CD Drive. He was sure that his collection of digital media files had been wiped with most everything else on this computer. Plus, there was something comforting about the sound of Mingus while he worked. He ran his fingers along the keyboard and set to work.

He smelled the coffee before his brain caught up to him. He stopped typing and pulled his headphones to his neck. "Annie?" he asked, then mentally cursed himself. For a moment, things felt like they had. The music, the work, the smell of coffee- Auggie almost thought he was in the DPD. He felt his cheeks redden as he realized his mistake.

"Shit, no, sorry," he heard. "I'm really sorry, man, I thought you heard me coming." Barber's voice dripped with apology.

Auggie smiled. If he was going to slip in front of anyone, he was relieved it was a friend. "Barber," he said, genuinely happy to see him. "What brings you to this part of the world?"

Barber clearly had not yet recovered from his entrance. "I uh- I heard you were coming back today, so I thought I'd come and see how you were. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean-"

Auggie waved his hand to stop him. "No problem," he said, "unless you didn't bring one for me." He felt Barber nudge the cup to the back of his hand. Auggie tipped his head toward the man and smiled as he took a sip.

"So, uh, nice place they gave you here," Barber started, and Auggie shrugged.

"It's got walls and a door, which is more than I was expecting," he said with a smile.

"Still man, the reassignment on top of everything? Nobody thinks that's fair. We should've-"

"Thanks, man." Auggie interrupted, "I appreciate it, but don't worry about fighting my battles. You keep doing what you do. Who knows, I still might need friends in higher places down the line."

"Anything you need, Auggie," Barber said, earnestly. Auggie knew he really meant it and nodded in return. It was clear that Barber worried for him, and Auggie felt guilty about the lies. He reminded himself that telling Barber would not only endanger him, but Annie as well. He swallowed and tried to change the subject.

"Thanks again for coming by, man, but maybe we should stick to beers at Allen's. You don't want the powers that be to think you've been associating with the agency leper."

Barber seemed to consider this for a moment before he tried to speak. Auggie could tell he was going to argue the point.

"Don't worry, man. I meant it when I said that you keeping your job might be important. I am fully aware of where I've been moved to in the pecking order. You are a good friend, Eric. And you can help by keeping your job, OK?" He knew using the man's first name would bear more weight with him.

Auggie heard a pause and assumed the man needed a moment to absorb what he'd just heard. "Yea, thanks, Auggie," he said and Auggie could hear the emotion behind it. He moved around the desk and held out a hand to Barber. When he took it, Auggie pulled him into a hug to show his appreciation. They exchanged claps on the back, and stepped back.

"I'll, uh, I'll see you around, Auggie. You know how to get ahold of me."

"Yea, thanks." Auggie moved back to his uncomfortable chair and took a sip of the coffee. It was his regular order, but it just didn't taste as good with a different delivery person. He put his headphones on and set back to work on the backlog.

* * *

**Totally Auggie-centric, but it explains what he was doing at work. The next chapter will include Annie & Auggie, I promise!**


	4. Chapter 4

Auggie didn't really want to be at Allen's, but he couldn't think of another place to be. With so many solitary assignments at work and a quiet apartment to go home to, he was tired of being alone with his thoughts. He just wanted a place to go and overhear other peoples' problems to take his mind off his own.

It was a Friday night, and Auggie knew there was little chance he would be able to go there without running into at least one person he knew. He'd stayed at the office as late as he could stand in hopes to miss most of the after work crowd. At eight, he'd called for a car, and it was nearly nine now. Auggie could tell the place was busy before he entered.

When he moved to the hostess stand, he was greeted by Angela, the regular hostess. He yelled over the crowd, "busy night tonight, huh?"

"Yea, we've got that band back here- _The Slapsticks?_" her voice rose in intonation as though she was asking if he recognized them. Auggie's breath hitched.

"Yea," he yelled back. "They're OK. Don't suppose there's any available tables?"

"Nothing inside, but there's some open tables on the patio," Angela responded.

Auggie gave her an appreciative smile, "that'll be great" he continued to yell. He let her lead him to a table on the patio. They could still hear the music, but it was considerably less invasive.

"Your regular?" she asked.

Even on the patio, Auggie could hear the first few strums of their warm up. "Make it two," he said with a solemn nod. She gave a squeeze to his shoulder in acknowledgment of his request. She returned moments later and he felt a cold bottle against his hand.

"Thanks," he said, but she must have been already gone.

Auggie sighed. He thought back a few months. They'd only been together for two weeks, and hadn't seen much aside from work and his bed. They came to Allen's on a Friday night in an attempt to try being a normal couple. The band was a surprise, but Annie insisted they stay. It was a warm night, and they sat out on the patio, only a few tables over from where he sat now. Auggie moved his head in that direction, as if he could overhear the conversation they'd had those months ago.

"_You know," she started, as she held his hand in hers. "This is technically our first official date, and you took me to a bar that we've been to, like a hundred times before."_

_He knew she was yanking his chain, so he'd play along. "As I recall, I had plans to take you somewhere nicer, but you wanted to go straight to bed last Friday." He waggled his eyebrows at her to drive home his point. "And technically, I am taking you out to a concert at a tried and true dining establishment." He tried to keep a straight face, but he broke out into a big grin because he just knew she was rolling her eyes at him. _

_She laughed in response. "Technically," she repeated, her voice mimicked his, "you didn't even know a band would be playing tonight." He could hear the playful indignation in her voice, as though her point was made. _

"_All a part of my plan, Walker," he said, and he kissed her hand with the grin on his face. _

_They sat in silence for a moment. "They aren't actually that good, are they?" Auggie commented, and he knew he was right. The sound was an amalgamation of different sources, as though they tried for a hybrid of folk, jazz and, was that ska? _

"_Oh good," Annie laughed, "I'm glad I'm not the first to say it. Well, maybe they'll get better if we drink more." She must have flagged down the waitress. "We'll take another pitcher," he heard._

_There were a few more moments of silence as Auggie pondered a thought. It came to him suddenly, and immediately nagged at him. Maybe he should have planned something more elaborate for the night, but with all of the whirlwind around Henry Wilcox, he hadn't had the energy. A mug bumped the back of his hand. Auggie refocused on what was happening here and now and reached for his beer. He thought maybe he'd gotten away with his space-out, but he felt her hand on top of his. _

"_You OK?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice. _

"_Yea, fine, why?" he answered, and immediately regretted his choice. _

"_You looked like you were thinking about something just before," she answered. Of course she'd noticed. Auggie closed his eyes for a second. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew where her eyes gazed and he felt vulnerable. He cursed himself for lying to her. It was his go-to with the women in his life. He lied because so often he couldn't tell them the truth for their own protection. His therapist would say it was a way to keep them at arm's length, but Auggie didn't like that answer. Annie, though, she was different. For one, she knew him well enough to know when more was happening with him. He'd been the one to declare honesty the best policy, and while he hadn't yet fully complied with his policy regarding the recent events in Columbia, he could do it about this._

_He took a deep breath. He could feel her lean towards him, both of her hands holding the hand that was not fidgeting with the handle to his beer stein. "Are you- I mean, I just wondered," he took another breath and tried again. "Are you happy, Annie?" His voice was quiet, but he knew she heard him._

_He felt her pull back, and imagined that she was surprised by the question. "Yea, of course I am," her tone a bit defensive. "Where's this coming from, Auggie?" _

"_I don't know," he shifted his head down and continued play with the mug. "I just- sometimes I worry that after last time, I won't see the signs again." He moved his hand in front of his face, and gestured at his eyes with a sad smile. "I couldn't handle you leaving in the middle of the night."_

"_Hey," she said, and he felt her pull his chair back a little. She nudged his knees together and sat down on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. He moved his arms around her waist and breathed in the lingering smell of grapefruit on her neck. "I," she punctuated her word with a peck on his lips, "am," another peck, "extraordinarily," he smiled as he anticipated the kiss, "happy," peck, "with," peck, "you," peck, "Auggie Anderson" she rushed and planted a full kiss on his lips. Auggie's hands slid up her back and he pulled her close. When they broke the kiss, they sat for a moment, forehead to forehead._

"_Thank you," he whispered, a big smile across his face._

"_Anytime," she said, and placed a kiss on his forehead. _

Auggie realized he'd drained an entire beer in the time it took to relive that memory. It certainly wasn't the hardest or the most alcohol he'd downed since she'd left, but it was the first time he was going to be in public. Since he didn't want to buy any more box seats for the owner, he tried to slow down. He listened discreetly to the table behind him. Auggie judged the couple to be married and on a rare night out from the kids. They didn't talk about much that wasn't centered around what Auggie discerned to be three school-aged sons. The couple to his five o'clock appeared to be on a first or second date- Auggie heard a lot of probing questions and calculated responses. He actively tried to forbid his memory to think about how different things were with Annie. By the time they started dating, they'd both known most of the little details about one another. It was just the big things that they'd kept a distance on, Auggie thought with regret. He attempted again to listen to the first date couple, they'd moved from family members to past jobs.

When he heard the first few bars of the next song waft out the patio doors, Auggie grabbed for his new beer and took a long draw. He closed his eyes as he remembered the last time he'd heard this song.

"_Come on," she said as she slid off his lap. "They're playing our song, and you owe me a dance."_

"_Our song?" he replied, genuinely perplexed. He tried to figure out what song they were playing while he simultaneously ran through any songs she would consider to be theirs. He was drawing a blank on both counts. _

_He must have looked as confused as he felt, because she laughed while she tugged him out of the chair. "OK," she conceded, "maybe it's not officially our song, but I guess it could be." Auggie strained to identify the song's intro while he stood and followed her to what he assumed was an open space. He smiled when he finally placed the song, then frowned at the awful cover of _At Last.

"_I'm OK with the song, but I am officially vetoing this version as being ours," he said with a smile as he held out his hand to her. She took it and he wrapped his other around her waist, while he pulled her close. He moved his mouth close to her ear. "Not that I'm complaining, Walker, but since when do I owe you a dance? If my memory serves, it was you who cut our dance short in Columbia."_

"_Hmm," she replied, and he could tell she was trying to come up with a witty retort. He pulled her a bit closer and let his breath tickle her neck, "I, uh, I don't recall," she answered, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Auggie smiled and nuzzled down into her hair. They moved together for a moment before she tilted her head up. _

"_Didn't you promise me a dance, once?" she asked. Auggie tried to remember: he couldn't recall a time when he would've offered it, though now it made him feel foolish. He shook his head gently. "Oh, I guess I feel like I remember you telling me we'd dance soon, but I can't remember the details. Maybe it was wishful thinking," she said, and leaned her face up. He felt her stretch her body against his and tilted his head down to kiss her. _

_When the song ended, he heard a smattering of applause, and realized the audience wasn't clapping for the band. "Um, Annie," he muttered, and he could feel his face get warm, "when exactly did Allen's get a dance floor?"_

"_I improvised," she responded and squeezed his hand as she led him back to the table. Auggie tried to smile as he followed her, but he was embarrassed. There was something about being the center of attention and not being aware of it that made him very uncomfortable. _

The song ended, and Auggie shifted in his seat as he recalled the discomfort. He drained the remnants of the second beer, slid some cash under the bottle, and stood while he unfurled his cane. It had been almost exactly six months since that night, and Auggie was overwhelmed by the clarity of his sense memory. He clumsily made his way back through the bar and out on the sidewalk. He took three deep breaths and started to walk. He needed space between himself and the bar, but he couldn't imagine another long night in the quiet apartment, so he continued to walk.

* * *

_**Disclaimer: to my knowledge, The Slapsticks aren't really a band. And if they are, I doubt they play the music mentioned above.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Auggie woke in a quiet place. His body tensed at the unfamiliar surroundings. He heard some sort of fan blowing air, and what sounded like someone shuffling on carpet. He stayed still while he tried to get his bearings. It only took a moment to recall that the soft bed he slept in was part of their Chicago hotel. He let out a small sigh and stretched to rid himself of the tension that appeared any time he awoke somewhere new.

"Good morning," he heard from his 10 o'clock as he released his stretch. He remembered from his quick tour of the room yesterday that there was a table and some chairs in that direction.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, with a smile on his face. "What are you doing up already?"

There was a pause, and he assumed Annie shrugged before she responded, "I don't know, couldn't sleep." Auggie waited to see if she was going to add more before he spoke again.

"Have you been up long?"

"Just a little while. We were both dangerously low on clothes, so I washed out our laundry in the sink. You know, make use of the indoor plumbing." She paused before she added, "oh yea, watch yourself if you try to take a shower. I hung most of it around the tub, and I don't want you to come out looking like a drying rack."

"You know they have laundry services for that sort of thing?" Auggie asked. He felt the smirk on his face.

"Eh," she responded, he could tell she was walking around the room again. "I figured I was up and I could do it."

A thought occurred to Auggie. "Where'd you get laundry soap?" he asked.

"Oh yea," she said in return, "before you take a shower, you'll also want to call down to the front desk for more shampoo." Auggie chuckled.

"Noted," he said, and he flopped down onto the bed. The traveling yesterday wore him out. He reached to the table next to the bed, and felt for his watch. The time read 5:30. "Hang on a second," he said in surprise. "It's 5:30 and you've been up 'for a while' already?" He knew her sleep schedule was erratic- he'd put that together in the last week when he woke at random times and found the bed cool beside him. It was different, but as someone who rarely kept a normal sleep cycle, he understood the feeling.

Auggie leaned on his elbow and patted the bed beside him. "C'mere," he said softly, and he hoped she'd listen. After a moment, the bed depressed next to him. He reached out and ran a hand along her leg. One leg was tucked under her, and he assumed the other was still dangling off. His hand rested on her thigh. He could tell she was tense.

"You seem wound up," he ventured.

"Yea," she said quietly. "I don't know, I guess I'm not used to being in one place for very long anymore." He nodded in response and stayed quiet. He didn't think it the right time to mention they'd only reentered the country 15 hours ago. "Not that I haven't enjoyed this time," she said quickly. He smiled and squeezed her thigh.

"C'mon," he said, and he rolled to a sitting position. He swung his legs out from under the sheets and over the side of the bed. He felt her stand as he did. He recognized that he was still naked and that he wasn't sure if he even had a dry pair of boxers to his name. "This would have been more suave if I knew where my pants were," he said with a smile. When she laughed in response, he smiled more broadly.

"OK, new plan," he said with certainty. "First, we find me some underwear and sweats. Then you can get dressed. Wear something comfortable. We'll stop for breakfast on the way." He flashed a mischievous grin at her. He knew she could never resist a surprise.

He accepted his clothes from her and dressed. He ran a hand through his hair, and moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He struggled to find a towel to dry his hands- it seemed that everywhere he would expect a towel he found damp clothing instead. After a few attempts, Auggie shook his hands and wiped them on his sweats. It wasn't worth holding up his plans.

Once they were dressed and ready to leave, Auggie put his cane in his messenger bag, took Annie's arm, and moved with her to the lobby. In the rental car, Auggie gave directions from their downtown hotel to the Western Suburb he grew up in. After a stop for coffee and breakfast at a diner Auggie still remembered from his youth, the two got back in the car. Auggie continued to navigate while Annie offered him landmarks.

"You're going to turn left on Main Street," he said, and he heard Annie name the streets under her breath as they passed them. After the click of the turn signal, he felt their direction change. "About a block down on the left will be Pleasant Lane Elementary School, home of the Pleasant Lane Eagles."

Annie chuckled. "Sort of hard to sound intimidating when your mascot has _pleasant_ in his title."

"Yea, well, we weren't exactly training Spartans," he responded with a smile. "But it did the Anderson's well. Well," he continued after a short pause, "probably better for the older ones. By the time I got there, my older brothers had done such a number on the place that the staff couldn't bother to learn one more name. I was 'the youngest one', or 'so-and-so's little brother.'"

He heard her laugh again, and smiled. He would do anything for that laugh. "Poor Auggie," she consoled, and her hand grabbed his. He pulled her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss.

"I think I turned out OK," he said, and she squeezed his hand in response.

There was a comfortable silence between them as Annie continued down the street. "OK," he said after a few moments. "You'll continue straight on Main for a bit. This residential area will lead to downtown proper. When we cross the railroad, you'll make the first right onto Parkside." He paused so she could commit the directions to memory. "And, if the Dairy Dog is still on the right as downtown starts," he added, "you'll see the sight of my first job."

"I'm sorry, you worked at a place called 'Dairy Dogs'?" she asked, her tone incredulous. He laughed in response.

"I know," he said, "it's terribly Midwestern, but please remember we take our hotdogs very seriously in this part of the country, Miss Walker." It had been a long time since Auggie thought about his summers serving food. Yet he felt good about letting Annie know this part of him. With so much of his life split into pre-accident and post-accident, there were obviously more glaring things that defined him. Auggie liked that he had the chance to show Annie some of who he was before he even really was his pre-accident self.

Auggie felt the telltale bumps of the railroad tracks and the quick right after them. He hoped the place was still there. Last he knew it was, but every time he was home, his brothers went on and on about how many businesses came and went downtown. Auggie started to feel a bit nervous. He swallowed hard, to temper the nerves. It was silly, he knew, but it had been a long time.

"You're looking for a storefront, I think the number should be 820," he said to Annie, who slowed the car.

"Found it," she said, and the car continued to move forward. "There's street parking just ahead," she explained. Auggie nodded.

Once out of the car, Auggie unfurled his cane. He didn't mind being led, especially by Annie, but sometimes he wanted to take point. She seemed to understand, and once she fed the meter, she took the hand he extended to her, but stayed half a step behind.

"On your left," he heard her whisper, and he turned to feel the door handle. He pulled open the door and stepped inside.

Auggie paused just inside the doorway. He felt Annie slide in behind him and stand next to him, their hands still together. The smell was exactly the same. Sweat mixed with plastic, rubber, and the slight metallic quality of blood. A radio played top 40 in the background.

Auggie heard a booming voice get louder as it spoke, "Holy shit, Auggie Anderson, is that really you?" Annie's hand dropped from his just as he felt a large pair of arms envelope him and squeeze tight. "Are you really here?" the voice asked again. Auggie could only nod until the arms released him.

"Doug!" he exclaimed. "Good God, man, what are you benching these days?"

The booming voice laughed. "Holy shit, man, how long has it been?"

"Long time," Auggie confirmed with a nod. His last trip to this place was before his accident. He liked to imagine that everything still looked the same- same stained floors in the rings, same punching bags patched with duct tape, same old men offering unsolicited boxing tips from the sides. None of it may have been the same, but Auggie knew that was the image he'd always conjure up.

There was a pause before Auggie remembered why he was there. "Annie!" he exclaimed, as he recalled her presence. "I want you to meet Doug; the man who coached me in wrestling and gave me half of my self defense training before I could even enlist." He turned his body in the direction of Doug, "Doug, this is Annie." The two exchanged pleasantries.

"Are you in town long?" Doug asked. "Because I saw Ethan last week, and he didn't mention you coming in."

"We're not really here," Auggie explained, and hoped his secret would stay safe. "We're just driving through town on our way back to DC from Estes park." It was a lie, but hopefully convincing enough.

Doug must have considered their outfits. "Is this just a trip down memory lane, Auggie, or are you ready for a fight?" Auggie could hear the challenge in the man's voice.

"Not with the boxing, no. But we actually met at the Krav Maga academy." Another lie, but Auggie had come up with the cover in the car. Last he knew, Doug didn't know much aside from wrestling and boxing- two areas he was extraordinarily well educated in, but a limited scope, nonetheless. "I just thought we could stretch our legs and spar for a bit."

"Yeah, man," Doug responded. "You know you're welcome here any time. There's some space back there," there was an awkward pause as Doug realized his mistake. "Shit- I mean, back to your left over there," he said quickly, and Auggie nodded. Although Doug had seen him once after the accident, the reunion was brief. Auggie knew that was the hardest part of being home- as tough as it was to interact with people in his DC life who assumed he needed kid gloves because he was blind, it could be equally awkward to handle the situations with people who thought of him as his pre-accident self until they said something they regretted. Most of the time, Auggie didn't mind the slip ups. He'd had enough practice with self-deprecation to forgive any naive comments. He gave a smile to Doug with his nod. He knew the man was kicking himself.

"Just let me know if you need anything," Doug said, and Annie thanked him.

"Pads still in the same place?" Auggie asked. Doug offered to get them for him, and Auggie agreed. He asked Annie to lead him to the bag closest to the area Doug mentioned. He held it steady and coached her through a warm up. Even with the bag between them, he felt the power behind her kicks and jabs. Clearly, she'd kept up her training.

With the pads in place, they moved onto the mats. Auggie held the training pads at his chest height. He felt each punch that she landed reverberate down his arm. She'd been good before, but it was obvious that now she was even more precise, her motions controlled and powerful. He thought about himself when he was at his peak, but shook off the thoughts quickly.

When his hands and arms could bear no more pounding, he took a step back. "Holds?" he asked, and a mischievous grin spread on his face.

"Fair enough," she responded, her breathing heavy from the exertion. He sensed her step towards him.

"Neck first," he said, and he felt her turn his back to him. He reached an arm around her neck and used his other hand to hold it in place. He was working out a smart-ass remark about the first time they'd practiced this move, but before he could formulate the words, she'd dropped her hips and jutted them back to him. She used her lower center of gravity to throw him off balance and then moved in such a way that she leveraged him off the ground, over her shoulder and landed him squarely on his back. It wasn't the hold he taught her, but it was clearly effective. Auggie coughed as he tried to regain his breath.

She was beside him in a moment, her hands on his arm. "Oh my god, Auggie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's, OK," he gasped, each word punctuated by a breath. He grinned at her to show he was OK, and sat up as quickly as he could. He tried to mask a groan as he propped himself up.

"You've picked up some new moves, Walker," he said, and held out a hand for her to help him up. "You'll have to show me exactly how you did that." He was truly amused. It wasn't often that he was bested in hand to hand combat, especially by her.

Once he stood, he could tell she was hesitant, and reached out his hand. It landed on her bicep and he gave a squeeze. "Hey, I'm proud of you," he said quietly enough for only her to hear. He felt her use his arm to balance herself as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks," she whispered in his ear.

After another dozen or so releases, they called it quits for the day, both seemingly exhausted. They said their goodbyes to Doug and made their way back to the car. They sat in the car and Auggie heard the jangle of the key as she slid it into the ignition. He wanted to ask if she enjoyed it, but didn't want to fish. He knew he was happily exhausted, and that she seemed more relaxed, and that was enough of a payoff for him. He turned his head to ask why she wasn't starting the car and her lips crashed into his, and he felt her hands in his hair. It took him just a moment to return the passionate kiss while his hands moved to her back, pulling her to him.

When the kiss ended, they remained in close proximity, foreheads connected. "I just wanted to thank you for that," she whispered. "It was exactly what I needed."

He smiled, proud of himself. She moved her head away, and he heard the ignition start.

"OK," she said, as she pulled out of the space. "New plan for today. Back to the hotel for showers, then we hit Michigan Avenue. I, for one, am tired of the same six outfits, and I need to get out of these sneakers and back into some heels." Auggie rolled his eyes for effect, but on the inside he beamed. This was his Annie, and he was glad he could help her find her way back.


End file.
